Stepladder



June 13, 1961 c. "r. cARLsbN STEPLADDER Filed Nov. 25, 1958 Carl 7. Car/son 1N VEN TOR.

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United States Patent 2,988,164 STEPLADDER Carl T. Carlson, 614 W. Flesheim St., Iron Mountain, Mich. Filed Nov. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 776,243 3 Claims. (Cl. 182-106) The present invention generally relates to a stepladder construction and more particularly to a folding stepladder together with an upstanding handle or stabilizing member provided thereon for enabling persons to more easily climb or descend the ladder while having something to hold onto thereby steadying themselves and reducing the possibility of injury.

While a stepladder of conventional construction is extremely handy, it is well known that when a person stands on the top step or next to the top step that the person is in an extremely unstable and dangerous condition in that he has nothing to hold onto except for some surrounding member not attached to the stepladder such as a wall surface, window sash or frame or the like. Thus, considerable incidences of injury occur in which persons fall from stepladders. This is an extremely common occurrence especially when climbing onto the stepladder or when descending the stepladder. Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a stepladder having a novel structural arrangement including an upwardly extending handle forming member which projects considerably above the uppermost step on the stepladder thereby enabling persons to hold on at all times and facilitating the ascending or descending of the ladder.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stepladder which is simple in construction, easy to use, stable in operation, safe, easy to ascend and descend and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the stepladder of the present invention in extended or setup condition with portions thereof broken away showing the details of construction;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the stepladder illustrating the steps and the bracing for the device; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the stepladder in folded condition with portions broken away similar to FIGURE 1.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the stepladder of the present invention which is to be used in the same manner as the usual stepladder.

The stepladder 10 includes a pair of inwardly and upwardly converging side rails or stiles 12 which are provided with a U-shaped bend 14 at the lower end thereof and which extend upwardly into a side rail member 16 parallel to and spaced from the stiles 12. Rigidly interconnecting the stiles 12 and the side rail members 16 is a pair of steps 18 and 20 which are disposed in horizontal position when the stepladder is set up for use as shown in FIGURE 1. The steps 18 and 20 are secured rigidly as by welding 22.

Adjacent the upper ends of the stiles 12, there is provided a transverse rod 24 and the stiles 12 project above the transverse rod 24 and form extensions 26 which curve inwardly and join with each other and form generally an inverted U-shaped or semi-circular upper end designated by the numeral 28 and being generally disposed in a vertical plane and joined to the extensions 26 by an angle "ice or bent portion 30. It is pointed out that the U-shaped portion 28 could lie in the same plane as the extensions 26. The inverted U-sh-aped portion 28 forms a handle or hand grip for a person to hold onto when climbing the stepladder and especially when standing on the top step 32. The top step 32 is connected with the upper ends of the side rail members 16 by an elongated transverse rod 34 whereby the top step 32 may pivot about the axis defined by the rod 34. The top step 32 also rests upon the transverse rod 24 and has the inner edge thereof pivotally attached to a pair of links 36 by pivot pins 38. The outer ends of the links 36 are connected to a pair of braces 40 by pivot pins 42 with the pivot pins 42 being disposed below the plane of the transverse rod 24 whereby the link 36 will extend downwardly when the upper step 12 is resting upon the transverse bar or rod 24. The brace members 40 converge in the same manner as the stiles 12 and are pivotally attached to brackets 44 at their upper ends by pivot pins 46. The braces 40 are also interconnected and rigidified by crossed braces 48 whereby the braces 40 will positively and rigidly support the stepladder so that the top step 32 is engaged with the rail or bar 24.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the braces 40 may be swung inwardly to a position against the stiles 12 about hinge pin 46. When this occurs, the link 36 will move the top step 32 upwardly and away from the transverse bar 24 thereby enabling folding of the braces 40 to a position against the stiles 12 without having a manually releasable brace element. Further, a persons weight resting upon the top step 32 will assure that the braces 40 will not move inwardly towards the stiles 12 which could occur if there was not articular connection between the step 32 and the braces 40. In other words, the step 32 will tend to swing downwardly about pivot axis formed by the transverse rod 34. This will tend to swing the link 36 downwardly about pivot pin 42 which tendency will urge the braces 40 outwardly thereby precluding any possibility of the braces 40 moving inwardly such as might occur if a person leaned against the curved portion 28 or otherwise became overbalanced which sometimes occurs in a conventional stepladder.

With the present invention, the side rails 16 and stiles 12 provide a rigid construction and the upward convergence of the support members also provide a more effective and larger support area thereby providing a stable stepladder which may be easily folded and which will be retained in unfolded condition and which also provides a hand hold or handle for facilitating a person climbing onto the stepladder or descending therefrom.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A stepladder comprising a pair of elongated stiles, a pair of side rail members paralleling said stiles and spaced therefrom, a plurality of steps rigidly interconnecting said stiles and side rail members, the lower ends of said stiles and side rail members being interconnected with the interstiles and side rail members thereby stabilizing the stepladder, a top step having one edge pivotally connected to the upper ends of said side rail members, said stiles being interconnected by a transverse bar for engagement with the step adjacent the opposite edge thereof for supporting the step in generally a horizontal position, and a link interconnecting the inner edge of the step and the props for retaining the props in extended posit-ion when the step is in horizontal position with the lower surface thereof resting against the transverse bar, said link extending downwardly and rearwardly whereby weight on the top step will prevent movement of the props toward the stiles thereby retaining the stepladder in extended position.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting the upper ends of the stiles includes an inverted U-shaped member continuous with the stiles and disposed in substantially vertical relation and in oblique angular relation to the stiles for providing a handgrip for a person standing on the top step, said stiles and side rail members diverging downwardly provide an in- 20 creased area of engagement with the ground surface, said props diverging downwardly to also increase the area of contact with the ground surface thereby stabilizing the stepladde-r.

3. A stepladder comprising a pair of elongated stiles, a pair of side rail members parallel to said stiles and spaced therefrom in rigid relation, a plurality of steps extending between the stiles and side rail members, means interconnecting the lower ends of the stiles and side rail members with said means adapted to engage a supporting surface, means joining the upper end of said stiles and forming a handle for persons employing the stepladder,. a pair of prop members pivotally attached to said stiles adjacent the upper end thereof, said plurality of steps including a top step having one edge pivotally connected to the side rail members, a transverse bar interconnecting said stiles adjacent the upper end thereof and engaging the undersurface of the step adjacent the opposite side edge thereof for supporting the step in generally a horizontal position, and a link interconnecting the inner side edge of the step and the props for retaining the props in extended position when the top step is in horizontal position with the undersurface thereof resting "against the transverse bar thus precluding inward collapse of the props toward the stiles while weight is being exerted on the top step.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 421,914 Dorm'itzer Feb. 25, 1890 2,172,860 Weaver Sept. 12, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 594,987 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1947 620,310 Great Britain Mar. 23, 1949 490,356 Italy Feb. 8, 1954 1,093,081 France Nov. 17, 1954 1,108,440 France Aug. 31, 1955 

